Napa In Newport Raises More Than One Million Dollars To Help Find a Cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 21, 2018 – Hundreds of people gathered at the Ritz-Carlton on Saturday, March 3 to enjoy the best of Napa Valley wineries and help find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The fourth annual Napa in Newport wine auction, powered by Karma, raised more than one million dollars to support CureDuchenne’s mission to extend and improve the lives of those affected by Duchenne, a fatal genetic disease that causes muscle degeneration in children, typically boys. Those with Duchenne often lose their ability to walk by their mid-teens and the disease claims their lives by their mid-20s. Over the years, CureDuchenne has become the force behind considerable advances in Duchenne treatment, made possible by the help of gracious supporters. At this time, there is no cure for Duchenne.

Our 2018 Vintner Partners were: BOND, Accendo Cellars, Aloft, Arkenstone Estate Winery, Arrow&Branch, Bryant Family Vineyard, Bure Family Wines, CADE Estate Winery, Dakota Shy, Dalla Valle, Darioush, Dark Matter, David Arthur Vineyards, Davis Estates, Fairchild Napa Valley, Fait-Main, Gandona, Gargiulo Vineyards, Gemstone Vineyard, Hill Family Estate, Hobel Wines, Hourglass, Hundred Acre, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, LAZ Wines, Lokoya, Marston Family Vineyard, Melka Wines, Memento Mori, Morlet Family Vineyards, Nellcôte, Odette Estate Winery, PlumpJack, Pulido~Walker, Quintessa, Rudd Oakville Estate, Secret Indulgence, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery, The Mascot, Trois Noix, Vérité, Vineyard 29, Vineyard 7 & 8 and ZD Wines.

As great wine and good company surrounded guests throughout the night, they were reminded of the true reason behind the event when Hawken Miller, a 21-year-old affected by Duchenne, took the stage. Hawken, who is studying journalism at USC, shared with the audience his experience battling Duchenne and how the disease has progressively made life more difficult.

“At 21, I’m now in unchartered territory with Duchenne and the historical data is grim. It’s harder for me to walk and my muscles tense up often. School seems like it’s 3-times more difficult with everything I have to deal with,” said Hawken, who is in the middle of his junior year and interning at KTLA.  “I have faith that God can perform miracles through people like those of you who support our mission to find a cure.”

This year’s Napa in Newport event included an exquisite dinner created by renowned Chef Andrew Sutton, Culinary Director, Disneyland Resort Signature Restaurants whose cuisine celebrates the seasons and bounty of California with skill and refinement. The menu featured a variety of delicious menu items with an American buffalo tenderloin roasted with brambly herbs on a braise buffalo brisket ragu as the main course.

The live auction featured unique items, rarely available wines and custom, once-in-a-lifetime Napa Valley experiences. Wine auction items included a vintner premier collection of more than 30 large format bottles of wine; tickets to Hamilton on Broadway in New York City; an exclusive journey to Bermuda; a private dinner with renowned Chef Amar Santana; a chance to tee off with Teemu Selanne; an ultimate football experience with tickets to the Green Bay Packers and more.

Sponsors for Napa in Newport included Karma Automotive, 55°, South Coast Plaza, Province Group, POPin,  GoVino, Fullmer Construction, Golden West Food Group, Experian, and WHGC.

About CureDuchenne
CureDuchenne is the leading nonprofit focused on funding research to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide.  CureDuchenne’s mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by Duchenne. With support from CureDuchenne, nine research projects have advanced to human clinical trials.  CureDuchenne provides the Duchenne community with resources on the best standard of care through its CureDuchenne Cares program. For more information, please visit CureDuchenne.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.